Heating-tank



'1. STOCKER.

HEATING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2| I9l9.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921 7 awe/wt J m Q 552 26 MM) fln ww ITED sTATES JAMES M. STOCKER, OF 'ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

. HEATING-TANK.

invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a-ppertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to heating tanks and particularly to steam heating tanks and tanks for the heating of asphalt or other road binders such as are sprayed or poured on aroadway in the penetration process of building roads or for surface treatment of roads, but is not limited thereto.

An object of this inventionis to provide a means of obtaining-the necessary heat by steam for the liquefaction of current road binders to enable them to be sprayed or poured upon the roadway in a satisfactory manner. 1 I

A further object of this invention is to provide for the great relative" changes in specific gravity of the heated and non-heated portions of the binder which occasions the heated portion of the binder always being at thetop under current methods of heating with the colder portion always at the bottom. A further object of this invention is to provide against the precipitation of the newly supplied binder into the heater from immediately carrying it to the drain port of the heater.

A further object of this invention is to provide a heated path for the binder being fed into the tank and toequali'ze the heating of the newly fed binder with that of the binder already in the tank.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means for varying the relative heat of the different strata throughout the tank.

provide means for providing a relatively greater heat at thebottom of the heating tank than atthe top. 7

A further ob'ect of this invention is to provide a means of heating by steam the new binders which have such a content of Specification of Letters Patent.

joined by pipe. 6.

A further object of this invention is to Patented oer. 25, 1921.

Application filed August 2, 1919. Serial no; 314,990.

make them liquid enough to be sprayedor poured upon'the roadway in a satisfactory manner, and which if heated in kettles with fires is often heated too hot in places which results in the coking of the carbon contained therein and destroying the ductility and cementing qualities of the binder, and which has not been accomplished in a satisfactory, rapid and economical manner.

With'these and other objects in view the invention consistsof the construction combination, and in detail and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more fully described and claimed. I

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section ofmy tankwith coil 4 shown only in art. Fig. 2 is a section of my tank at 2-2 ig. 3, with coils 4 and 4 shown only in part. Fig. 3 is an end view partly broken away. The binder is supplied atport 1 and taken from the tank at port 2. This is distinguished from the current designs as will hereafter be more fully understood, the current design having the supply port and the drain port substantially with the supply port-directly over the drain port. 3 and 3' are steam inlets and3 -v and 3 are auxiliary steam inlets. Steam inlets 3 and :3 are Inlets 3 and 3 are joined by pipe 7. Inlets 3 and 3 lead respectively to coils 4 and 4. The respective outlets for coils 4 andt' are at. 5 and 5'. Inlets 3? and 3", respectively, lead to coils discharge of these pipes. I thus havefour sets of coils, being 4, 4; 4 and 4. These coils are substantially below the medial line of the tank and are substantially alike on opposed'sides, that is to say, coil 4 is substantially the same as coil 4 and coil 4 is substantially the same as 4 Coils {i and being connected by pipe 6 can be made a single unit coil; likewise coils 4* and 4 being connected by pipe 7 can be made'asingle unit coil.

The tank is constructed of metal in a circular form having heads ateach end as is usual in'tanks of this character. Steam inlets and. steam outlets are" at opposed ends of this tank.- The steam inlet for coils&

and 4 being substantially at half the height of the tank and the outlet for 4 and for 4t areslightly above the lowerportion the said tank. The inlet for coils P and 4 are just below the bottom pipe of the coils customary to divide the heating coils into two sections, each section entering the tank at a point along its outer edge on either side and at a point near the center of elevation. The steam circulating through the coils downward and discharging at the bottom of the tank or through the end near the bottom. This has been done so the con densed water will have the easiest path of exit. In all coils of this type it is self evident that the steam in passing through the pipes will be discharged at a lower temperature than that at which it enters the coil and having a heating value at the bottom of the tank lower than .at the top. In asphalt and other bituminous compounds the specific gravity decreases very rapidly as the temperature increases and the hot portion rises to the top of the tank where the temperature is still further increased by the relative hotter steam in the-inlet part of the coil while the colder portion settles to the bottom of the tank where the steam in the coils is of lower temperature. The result is that under some conditions the'contents of thepupper portion of the tank may be hot enough and the lowerportion is too cold. As it is commercially necessary to take out the road binder from the bottom of the tank,

the eolderportion will: be d 'awn off. To

overcome this. I have arranged the coils in four sections two of whichare along the inner sides of thetank as shown at at and 4.. and the other two are placed along the bottom of the tank having independent inlet means and independent discharge means. By this ar 'angement of the heating coils it is evident that as the cold portion of the "contents of the tank settles to the bottom with acommon inlet or outlet they will not discharge the condensed water equally on account otithe pressure at the inlet of all the coils being equal and-the pressure at the outlet of the coilsv being equal, the difterence in friction against the walls of the various coils will cause the water of condensation to accumulate in the COll having the greatest resistance This will. be true even if the various COllS are of equal length on account of the difference in the interior 'surlacesot the pipe ofxwhich they are combottom incurrent coils.

posed. The steam circulates through the coils downward and discharges at the bot tom of the tank or through the end near the i It substantially follows the same course in these coils. This downward course is provided so that the condensed water will have the easiest path of exit." In all coils of this type it is self evident thatthesteam in passing through the coils will be discharged at a lower temperature than when it enters the coil and has a lower heat valueat the bot-tom of the tanlcthan, at the top. The coils i and. 4t 1 preterto make of lesser length than coils l and 4 and they will therefore if desired be hotter than 4- and 4:" but even if not hotter they would naturally, due to the elements above referred to, be relatively hotter than it they were joined as a continuous part of coils a and?! as is the usual practice. By

this means it is apparent that I. can have the greatest heat at the bottom ot the heating chamber and since the colder port ons ofthe binder would, due to its relative spe- ClllC' gravity when heated, be at bottom, lean thereby equalize the heat of this binder and keep it at substantially the same viscosity,

and an furtherheatthe binder to a greater temperaturethan could be had with theold systemxof col-ls; .TlllS heatmg'to a greater temperature it apparentwill. be accomstrata. Not only do I accomplish a greater heat but it is also apparent that. I am thus enabled to draw out. from the bottomthe hottest portion of the binder whereas heretoiorc it was necessary 'to draw out the colder portion and by reason ofthis even at equal temperatures 1 .am enabled to utilize binders requiring a higher temperatureii'or liquefaction. :I greatly economize on fuel) These advantages'accrue from the operation of the heating coil but my arrangement is a much further advantage. In the sysfurther "enabled to V tem' in vogue in applying the substance to be heated in the heater directly above the outlet port precipitation causes it to'go directly to the outlet port'and therefore the colder binder-is drawn-at the outlet port.

:In this new arrangement the supply to be heated precipitates upoirhot coils'fe and 4* when it is admitted through portl and before it reaches theo-utlet haste travel all the 7 Thu I have at the bottom a liquid of as great, and if desired, even greater temperature and relative viscosity than at the top, whereas, in the older system there is a collection of colder portions of the contents of the tank at the bottom where the steam in the coils is not hot enough to heat it. I thus automatically equalize the heat of the old and the new binder in the chamber.

The method of operation is as follows:

The tank is located at a point adjacent to a railroad. The road binder is shipped in tank cars. These cars are provided with heating coils sufficient to raise the temperature of the road binder sufliciently to allow the cars to be unloaded. The road binders are pumped from these tanks into the heating tank. The heating tank has suihcient capacity to hold enough for an ordinary days work. The heating tank being provided with sufficient coils filled with steam ata high temperature, the semifiuid road binder is soon heated to high temperature. A part of the contents of the heating tank is pumped into a tank mounted on a wagon or motor truck and carried to the road where it i to be used. A portion of the road binder equal to that removed is then pumped from the tank car into the heating tank through the filling opening 1. As road binder is pumped in slowly a portion of it will mix with the hot content'of the heating tank and the remainder will settle to the bottom directly under the filling opening 1 where it will come into contact with'the coils 4 and 4?. as describechwhich will rapidly heat it as it slowly spreads out over the bottom of the tank. By the time it has reached the discharge outlet 2, the heat will be sufficiently high to allow it to be sprayed on the roadway. The heating tank can be mounted on skids or on wheels as desired to make it portable. It can also be covered by a nonconductor of heat to prevent loss by radiation.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tank, a plurality of steam coils in said tank extending longitudinally and arranged adjacent the sides and bottom thereof, each coil having independent means for controlling the supply of steam at one end and independent means for controlling the exhaust of condensed water at the other end.

2. In combination, a tank, a plurality of steam coils in said tank extending longitudinally and arranged adjacent the sides and bottom thereof, each coil having independent means for controlling the supply of steam at one end and independent means for controlling the exhaust of steam at the other end, the lower coils being constructed to offer less resistance to the steam than the upper coils.

3. In combination, a tank, a plurality of steam coils in aid tank extending longitudinally and arranged adjacent the sides and bottom thereof, each coil having independent means for controlling the supply of steam at one end and for controlling the exhaust of condensed water at the other end, the bottom coils containing less pipes than the upper coils.

' 4. In combination, a tank for heating bituminous binders, steam coils in said tank extending longitudinally, laterally opposed sets of said coils connected by a pipe, superposed sets of said coils receiving steam independently, steam inlets at the top of ea h independent set of coils, a drain cock at the bottom of each independent set of coils. and means for drawing the contents of said tank at an end opposed to the end for filling said tank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES M. STOCKER. 

